Systems and methods for distributed utilities

ABSTRACT

A monitoring system for distributed utilities. A generation device is provided for converting an available resource to a desired utility; the resource may be water, in which case the generator is a purifier for providing potable water, or, alternatively, the generator may convert a fuel to electrical power. In either case, an input sensor is provided for measuring input to the generation device, while an output sensor is provided for measuring consumption of output from the generation device. The monitoring system has a controller for concatenating measured input and consumption of output on the basis of the input and output sensors. Measured parameters are telemetered to a remote site where utility generation and use are monitored and may also be controlled.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 10/566,307, filed Jan. 27, 2006 and entitled System and Methodsfor Distributed Utilities, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,718,827, issued May 6,2014, which is a '371 Application of International Application SerialNo. PCT/US2004/24335 filed on Jul. 28, 2004 and entitled Systems andMethods for Distributed Utilities, which claims priority from U.S.Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/490,615 filed on Jul. 28,2003 and entitled Systems and Methods for Distributed Utilities, andU.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/518,782 filed on Nov.10, 2003 and entitled Locally Powered Water Distillation System, all ofwhich are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/566,307, filed Jan. 27, 2006 andentitled Systems and Methods for Distributed Utilities, is also acontinuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/714,683filed on Nov. 13, 2003, and entitled Locally Powered Water DistillationSystem, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,340,879, issued Mar. 11, 2008, which claimspriority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/425,820,filed Nov. 13, 2002 and entitled Pressurized Vapor Cycle LiquidDistillation, U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/490,615,filed Jul. 28, 2003 and entitled Systems and Methods for DistributedUtilities, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/518,782,filed Nov. 10, 2003 and entitled Locally Powered Water DistillationSystem, each of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in itsentirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to the field of distributed utilities,and, more particularly, to distributed water purification systems anddistributed power.

BACKGROUND ART

In many developing countries and remote areas without power plants andwater purification plants, access to electricity and safe drinking wateris a significant need. Often in such areas, poor financial resources,limited technical assets, and low population density does not make itfeasible to build power plants and water purification plants to providethese resources to the population. In such circumstances, the use ofdistributed utilities may provide a solution. Distributed waterpurification systems, such as described in U.S. Provisional Application60/425,820, and distributed electrical generators, such asdiesel-powered internal combustion generators and generators based onthe Stirling cycle, such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,253,550, may beused to provide electricity and safe drinking water without the expenseand delays associated with building and maintaining utility plants andthe infrastructure required to bring the electricity and safe drinkingwater and to its point of use. With such the use of such distributedutilities, however, comes the need to appropriately distribute theseutilities to the people who need them and to monitor the operation andcorrect usage of these systems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with preferred embodiments of the present invention, amonitoring system for distributed utilities is provided. The monitoringsystem has a generation device for converting an available resource to adesired utility. The available resource may be water, in which case thegenerator is a purifier for providing potable water. Alternatively, thegenerator may convert a fuel to electrical power. In either case, aninput sensor is provided for measuring one or more characteristics ofthe input to the generation device, while an output sensor is providedfor measuring consumption or other characteristic of output from thegeneration device. The monitoring system has a controller forconcatenating measured input and consumption of output on the basis ofthe input and output sensors.

Where the generation device, in the case, for example, of a particularutility of a network, is a water purifier, the input sensor may be aflow rate monitor. The output sensor may be a water quality sensorincluding one or more of turpidity, conductivity, and temperaturesensors. On the other hand, where the generation device is an electricalpower generator, the input sensor may include a fuel consumption ratemonitor and the output sensor may include an electrical usage meter.

The monitoring system may also have a telemetry module for communicatingmeasured input and output parameters to a remote site, either directlyor via an intermediary device such as a satellite, and, moreover, thesystem may include a remote actuator for varying operating parameters ofthe generator based on remotely received instructions. The monitoringsystem may also have a self-locating device, such as a GPS receiver,having an output indicative of the location of the monitoring system. Inthat case, characteristics of the measured input and output may dependupon the location of the monitoring system.

In accordance with further embodiments of the invention, a distributednetwork of utilities is provided, including sources of purified waterand sources of electrical power. The distributed network has generatorsfor converting a resource into a useful utility, input sensors formeasuring inputs to respective generators, output sensor for measuringconsumption of output from respective generators, and a telemetrytransmitter for transmitting input and output parameters of a specifiedgenerator. Finally, the distributed network has a remote processor forreceiving input and output parameters from a plurality of utilitygenerators.

In accordance with yet another embodiment of the invention, a method isprovided for supplying distributed utilities. The method has steps ofproviding a generator to a user, monitoring at least one index ofgenerator usage to supply a utility, and charging the user on the basisof the index of generator usage.

In accordance with other aspects of the present invention, methods areprovided for assembling monitoring systems that monitor input to, andconsumption of output from, a generating device. These methods includecoupling sensors to a controller of the generating device, andcommunication channels between the controller and a monitoring stationvia a telemetry module.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing features of the invention will be more readily understoodby reference to the following detailed description, taken with referenceto the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a depiction of a monitoring system for distributed utilitiesin accordance with embodiments of the present invention; and

FIG. 2 is a depiction of a distribution system for utilities inaccordance with embodiments of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS Monitoring

Referring first to FIG. 1, preferred embodiments of the presentinvention provide for monitoring generation device 10. Generation device10 can be any distributed utility generation device, such as a waterpurification system, an electrical generator, or other utilitygeneration device, or a combination of these. Generation device 10 maytypically be characterized by a set of parameters that describe itscurrent operating status and conditions. Such parameters may include,without limitation, its temperature, its input or output flux, etc., andmay be subject to monitoring by means of sensors, as described in detailbelow.

In the case in which generation device 10 is a water purificationdevice, source water enters the generation device 10 at inlet 22 andleaves the generation device at outlet 12. The amount of source water 25entering generation device 10 and the amount of purified water 13leaving generation device 10 can be monitored through the use of one ormore of a variety of sensors commonly used to determine flow rate, suchas sensors for determining them temperature and pressure or a rotometer,located at inlet sensor module 21 and/or at outlet sensor module 11,either on a per event or cumulative basis. Additionally, the properfunctioning of the generation device 10 can be determined by measuringthe turpidity, conductivity, and/or temperature at the outlet sensormodule 11 and/or the inlet sensor module 21. Other parameters, such assystem usage time or power consumption, either per event orcumulatively, can also be determined. A sensor can be coupled to analarm or shut off switch that may be triggered when the sensor detects avalue outside a pre-programmed range.

When the location of the system is known, either through direct input ofthe system location or by the use of a GPS location detector, additionalwater quality tests may be run based on location, including checks forknown local water contaminates, utilizing a variety of detectors, suchas antibody chip detectors or cell-based detectors. The water qualitysensors may detect an amount of contaminates in water. The sensors canbe programmed to sound an alarm if the water quality value rises above apre-programmed water quality value. The water quality value is themeasured amount of contaminates in the water. Alternatively, a shut offswitch may turn off the generation device if the water quality valuerises about a pre-programmed water quality value.

Further, scale build-up in the generation device 10, if any, can bedetermined by a variety of methods, including monitoring the heattransfer properties of the system or measuring the flow impedance. Avariety of other sensors may be used to monitor a variety of othersystem parameters.

In the case in which generation device 10 is an electrical generator,either alone or in combination with a water purification device or otherdevice, fuel enters the generation device from a tank, pipe, or othermeans through fuel inlet 24. The amount of fuel consumed by generationdevice 10 can be determined through the use of a fuel sensor 23, such asa flow sensor. Electricity generated, or in the case of a combinedelectrical generator and water purification device, excess electricitygenerated can be accessed through electricity outlet 15. The amount ofelectricity used, either per event of cumulatively, may be determined byoutlet sensor module 14. A variety of other sensors may be used tomonitor a variety of other system parameters.

In either of the cases described above, input sensor modules 21 and 23as well as output sensor modules 11 and 14 may be coupled to acontroller 100, electrically or otherwise, in order to process,concatenate, store, or communicate the output values of the respectivesensor modules as now described in the following section.

Communications

The sensors described above may be used to monitor and/or record thevarious parameters described above onboard the generation device 10, orin an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the generationdevice 10 may be equipped with a communication system 17, such as acellular communication system. The communication system 17 could be aninternal system used solely for communication between the generationdevice 10 and the monitoring station 20. Alternatively, thecommunication system 17 could be a cellular communication system thatincludes a cellular telephone for general communication through acellular satellite system 19. The communication system 17 may alsoemploy wireless technology such as the Bluetooth® open specification.The communication system 17 may additionally include a GPS (GlobalPositioning System) locator.

Communication system 17 enables a variety of improvements to thegeneration device 10, by enabling communication with a monitoringstation 20. For example, the monitoring station 20 may monitor thelocation of the generation device 10 to ensure that use in an intendedlocation by an intended user. Additionally, the monitoring station 20may monitor the amount of water and/or electricity produced, which mayallow the calculation of usage charges. Additionally, the determinationof the amount of water and/or electricity produced during a certainperiod or the cumulative hours of usage during a certain period, allowsfor the calculation of a preventative maintenance schedule. If it isdetermined that a maintenance call is required, either by thecalculation of usage or by the output of any of the sensors used todetermine water quality, the monitoring station 20 can arrange for amaintenance visit. In the case that a GPS (Global Positioning System)locator is in use, monitoring station 20 can determine the preciselocation of the generation device 10 to better facilitate a maintenancevisit. The monitoring station 20 can also determine which water qualityor other tests are most appropriate for the present location of thegeneration device 10. The communication system 17 can also be used toturn the generation device 10 on or off, to pre-heat the device prior touse, or to deactivate the system in the event the system is relocatedwithout advance warning, such as in the event of theft.

This information can be advantageously monitored through the use of aweb-based utility monitoring system, such as those produced by TeletrolSystems, Inc. of Bedford, N.H.

Distribution

The use of the monitoring and communication system described abovefacilitates the use of a variety of utility distribution systems. Forexample, with reference to FIG. 2, an organization 30, such as aGovernment agency, non-governmental agency (NGO), or privately fundedrelief organization, a corporation, or a combination of these, couldprovide distributed utilities, such as safe drinking water orelectricity, to a geographical or political area, such as an entirecountry. The organization 30 can then establish local distributors 31A,31B, and 31C. These local distributors could preferably be a monitoringstation 20 described above. In one possible arrangement, organization 30could provide some number of generation devices 10 to the localdistributor 31A, etc. In another possible arrangement, the organization30 could sell, loan, or make other financial arrangements for thedistribution of the generation devices 10. The local distributor 31A,etc. could then either give these generation devices to operators 32A,32 B, etc., or provide the generation devices 10 to the operators thoughsome type of financial arrangement, such as a sale or micro-loan.

The operator 32 could then provide distributed utilities to a villagecenter, school, hospital, or other group at or near the point of wateraccess. In one preferred embodiment, when the generation device 10 isprovided to the operator 32 by means of a micro-loan, the operator 32could charge the end users on a per-unit bases, such as per watt hour inthe case of electricity or per liter in the case of purified water.Either the local distributor 31 or the organization 30 may monitor usageand other parameters using one of the communication systems describedabove. The distributor 31 or the organization 30 could then recoup someof the cost of the generation device 10 or effect repayment of themicro-loan by charging the operator 32 for some portion of the per-unitcharges, such as 50%. The communication systems described additionallycan be used to deactivate the generation device 10 if the generationdevice is relocated outside of a pre-set area or if payments are notmade in a timely manner. This type of a distribution system may allowthe distribution of needed utilities across a significant area quickly,while then allowing for at least the partial recoupment of funds, which,for example, could then be used to develop a similar system in anotherarea.

In view of the foregoing, it will therefore be understood that the scopeof the invention as defined in the following claims is not limited tothe embodiments described herein, and that the above and numerousadditional variations and modifications could be made thereto withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for monitoring a water purificationdevice comprising: providing a water purification device for convertingan available resource to a desired utility, the water purificationdevice characterized by a plurality of operating parameters; coupling aninput sensor for measuring the available resource entering the waterpurification device; coupling an output sensor for measuring the amountof desired utility leaving the water purification device; coupling alocal controller to the input and output sensor for concatenating themeasured available resource entering and the amount of desired utilityleaving the water purification device on the basis of the input andoutput sensors; providing a remote controller for modifying theoperation of the water purification device based on the concatenatedmeasured available resource entering and desired utility leaving thewater purification device; providing a self-locating device having anoutput to the remote controller indicative of a geographical location ofthe water purification device; providing communication between atelemetry module and the remote controller; and providing communicationbetween the telemetry module and a monitoring station, wherein theself-locating device is a global positioning system, and wherein theremote controller modifies operation of the water purification devicebased on the geographical location of the water purification device. 2.A monitoring system for distributed utilities, the monitoring systemcomprising: a water purification device for converting an availableresource to a desired utility, the water purification devicecharacterized by a plurality of operating parameters; an input sensorfor measuring the available resource entering the water purificationdevice; an output sensor for measuring the amount of the desired utilityleaving the water purification device; a local controller forconcatenating the measured available resource entering and the desiredutility leaving the water purification device on the basis of the inputand output sensors; a remote controller for modifying operation of thewater purification device; and a self-locating device having an outputto the remote controller indicative of a geographical location of thewater purification device, wherein the remote controller modifiesoperation of the water purification device based on the geographicallocation of the water purification device.
 3. The monitoring system ofclaim 2, further comprising at least one sensor for measuring at leastone parameter of the plurality of operating parameters of the waterpurification device.
 4. The monitoring system of claim 2, furthercomprising a telemetry module for communicating measured input andoutput parameters to a remote site.
 5. The monitoring system of claim 2,further comprising a remote actuator for varying operating parameters ofthe generation device based on remotely received instructions.